Avoiding Self-Incrimination in Manassas Criminal Investigations

It is critically important to consult an attorney any time the police want to talk to you. Even if it does not appear that you are a focus of the investigation, it is certainly possible and in many cases probable that you may become the focus of investigation once you talk to the police. To protect yourself from potential self-incrimination, make sure to speak with and retain a Manassas criminal lawyer before speaking with the police.

In other cases, the police will tell an individual that they are not the focus of the investigation in an effort to get them to lower their guard, and then ask them a series of incriminating questions, which could then lead to criminal charges. Most people are not aware that the police are allowed to mislead you in order to gain evidence against you.

Police are trained in tactics that will draw answers from people and get them to provide incriminating information about themselves or others. An individual should not talk to police officers in Manassas who are experts in this area and have skills that can be used to the detriment of the defendant, without the help and advice of a Manassas criminal lawyer who is familiar with these scenarios.

How Speaking to Police May Incriminate You in Manassas

Any time an investigation is going on, whether it is focused on a friend, associate or you, you should know that talking to the police and giving testimony in court can potentially incriminate you. Just because you are cooperating with the police in their investigation or because you provide testimony in court does not necessarily mean you have immunity against being charged in connection with that situation, unless you and Manassas police have a specific agreement to that effect. In fact, by cooperating with police you may be making statements to them or giving testimony that incriminates you. These statements cannot be taken back and could potentially be used against you should the Manassas prosecutors or police decide to file charges against you.

Issues With Speaking to Police During Investigations

For Manassas criminal lawyers, the primary concern when someone is speaking to police, even when they are not the focus of the investigation, is that through that conversation they will become the focus of the investigation. Police have very specialized training that helps them to elicit information from individuals through in subtle ways. Under circumstances where you voluntarily speak to the police, you will not enjoy any of the Fifth Amendment protections which would otherwise be in place if the police had arrested you. They are not required to give you a Miranda warning. They are not required to tell you that they may focus on you. They are not required to tell you that the information you are giving them could lead to them arresting you or prosecuting you.

Therefore, it is most likely in a person’s best interest to avoid speaking with police and providing any information to them without your Manassas criminal attorney present, even if you are not the subject of their investigation.